Statement in response to the water and sewerage companies environmental performance report for 2025, published by the Environment Agency

• Water companies’ environmental performance has declined over the last year and only one company achieves the highest rating, despite £5bn of collective investment from 2020 to 2025 
• The Rivers Trust is dismayed to see that 20% of the water companies’ natural environment programme (WINEP) has not been completed, and compliance with discharge permits has also declined 
• We are also calling for change in how the ratings are used to finally allow failing companies to use nature-based solutions to deliver improvements 

The latest water company environmental performance assessment makes depressing, if predictable, reading. The fact that overall performance is declining, despite more than £5bn of investment over a five-year period, shows how severely neglected our water environment has been in the long term. 

Despite that investment, we’re particularly dismayed to see that almost 20% of the water companies’ natural environment programme (WINEP) has not yet been completed, the worst completion rate since the metric was introduced 15 years ago. We can never hope to achieve rivers fit for the future if investment is promised but not delivered. 

The report also shows a fall in compliance with discharge permits, despite water companies professing to prioritise putting an end to sewage pollution. Many of these permits are themselves outdated and unfit for purpose. The EA must improve the permitting system and up their game on enforcement to stop our rivers from paying the price. 

Overall, today’s report highlights the urgent need to drive radical change in the industry and the importance of reform in the much-anticipated Clean Water Bill. But rivers cannot simply wait for legislation to kick in; performance must improve now. 

The Rivers Trust is also calling for a change in how these environmental performance ratings are used. Currently, we have a perverse situation where failing companies are prevented from using nature-based solutions to meet environmental outcomes. We cannot simply build our way to a healthy water environment - we have to work with nature - and every water company should be scaling up the use of NBS. 

We need rivers fit for the future, with all water companies and regulators playing their part. 

Tessa Wardley, Executive Director of Advocacy, Comms & Philanthropy